Lester
- Last seen for girls in 1985 at #9,307
- #1,634 for boys in 2025, 103 births
- Given to boys 99.0% of the time
Showing
- Peak · boys
- 1906 · 482 births
- Debut · boys
- 109 births
- In top 100 · boys
- 46 yrsof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 130,688since 1880
Lester over time
boys
Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | — | #1,634 | 103 | |
| 2024 | — | #1,563 | 111 | |
| 2023 | — | #1,909 | 82 | |
| 2022 | — | #1,737 | 96 | |
| 2021 | — | #1,583 | 109 | |
| 2020 | — | #1,528 | 109 | |
| 2019 | — | #1,634 | 100 | |
| 2018 | — | #1,687 | 93 | |
| 2017 | — | #1,746 | 88 | |
| 2016 | — | #1,563 | 105 | |
| 2015 | — | #1,555 | 104 | |
| 2014 | — | #1,514 | 106 | |
| 2013 | — | #1,352 | 125 | |
| 2012 | — | #1,535 | 104 | |
| 2011 | — | #1,544 | 102 | |
| 2010 | — | #1,408 | 118 | |
| 2009 | — | #1,353 | 127 | |
| 2008 | — | #1,227 | 142 | |
| 2007 | — | #1,376 | 120 | |
| 2006 | — | #1,154 | 146 | |
| 2005 | — | #1,233 | 128 | |
| 2004 | — | #1,144 | 137 | |
| 2003 | — | #1,049 | 148 | |
| 2002 | — | #1,079 | 139 | |
| 2001 | — | #1,035 | 142 | |
| 2000 | — | #1,015 | 144 | |
| 1999 | — | #873 | 173 | |
| 1998 | — | #1,017 | 133 | |
| 1997 | — | #852 | 166 | |
| 1996 | — | #832 | 172 | |
| 1995 | — | #801 | 179 | |
| 1994 | — | #728 | 207 | |
| 1993 | — | #648 | 252 | |
| 1992 | — | #654 | 251 | |
| 1991 | — | #601 | 287 | |
| 1990 | — | #631 | 260 | |
| 1989 | — | #547 | 314 | |
| 1988 | — | #519 | 309 | |
| 1987 | — | #548 | 277 | |
| 1986 | — | #504 | 302 | |
| 1985 | #9,307 | 6 | #485 | 321 |
| 1984 | #10,422 | 5 | #450 | 346 |
| 1983 | — | #409 | 399 | |
| 1982 | — | #418 | 400 | |
| 1981 | — | #387 | 436 | |
| 1980 | #9,095 | 6 | #370 | 466 |
| 1979 | #8,061 | 7 | #390 | 422 |
| 1978 | #9,750 | 5 | #392 | 387 |
| 1977 | #7,567 | 7 | #366 | 453 |
| 1976 | #8,156 | 6 | #350 | 475 |
| 1975 | — | #344 | 497 | |
| 1974 | — | #355 | 471 | |
| 1973 | #8,423 | 5 | #337 | 504 |
| 1972 | #6,558 | 7 | #311 | 589 |
| 1971 | — | #308 | 632 | |
| 1970 | #5,413 | 9 | #297 | 680 |
| 1969 | #5,057 | 9 | #277 | 718 |
| 1968 | — | #266 | 747 | |
| 1967 | #4,982 | 8 | #269 | 731 |
| 1966 | #4,866 | 8 | #261 | 771 |
| 1965 | #4,831 | 8 | #237 | 956 |
| 1964 | #3,692 | 13 | #243 | 1,000 |
| 1963 | #3,176 | 16 | #226 | 1,101 |
| 1962 | #4,865 | 8 | #229 | 1,117 |
| 1961 | #3,793 | 12 | #218 | 1,284 |
| 1960 | #3,688 | 12 | #213 | 1,316 |
| 1959 | #3,104 | 15 | #211 | 1,335 |
| 1958 | #3,232 | 14 | #192 | 1,466 |
| 1957 | #4,202 | 9 | #183 | 1,636 |
| 1956 | #3,186 | 14 | #176 | 1,702 |
| 1955 | #2,971 | 15 | #168 | 1,691 |
| 1954 | #2,695 | 17 | #164 | 1,758 |
| 1953 | #2,699 | 16 | #157 | 1,776 |
| 1952 | #2,327 | 20 | #158 | 1,724 |
| 1951 | #2,937 | 13 | #151 | 1,722 |
| 1950 | #2,781 | 14 | #148 | 1,758 |
| 1949 | #2,620 | 15 | #149 | 1,752 |
| 1948 | #2,828 | 13 | #149 | 1,781 |
| 1947 | #2,637 | 15 | #142 | 1,944 |
| 1946 | #3,217 | 10 | #145 | 1,669 |
| 1945 | #2,458 | 13 | #131 | 1,618 |
| 1944 | #2,511 | 13 | #126 | 1,651 |
| 1943 | #1,949 | 20 | #125 | 1,764 |
| 1942 | #2,416 | 14 | #126 | 1,749 |
| 1941 | #2,096 | 16 | #125 | 1,563 |
| 1940 | #1,845 | 19 | #116 | 1,591 |
| 1939 | #2,417 | 12 | #116 | 1,549 |
| 1938 | #1,873 | 18 | #115 | 1,604 |
| 1937 | #2,448 | 12 | #116 | 1,576 |
| 1936 | #1,873 | 17 | #115 | 1,546 |
| 1935 | #1,845 | 18 | #114 | 1,626 |
| 1934 | #1,834 | 18 | #110 | 1,687 |
| 1933 | #1,773 | 19 | #108 | 1,644 |
| 1932 | #1,877 | 18 | #101 | 1,813 |
| 1931 | #1,549 | 24 | #96 | 1,919 |
| 1930 | #1,607 | 24 | #95 | 2,020 |
| 1929 | #1,393 | 30 | #88 | 2,106 |
| 1928 | #1,338 | 33 | #89 | 2,229 |
| 1927 | #1,233 | 40 | #83 | 2,440 |
| 1926 | #1,449 | 31 | #78 | 2,539 |
| 1925 | #1,847 | 22 | #81 | 2,559 |
| 1924 | #1,409 | 34 | #72 | 2,780 |
| 1923 | #1,305 | 36 | #71 | 2,765 |
| 1922 | #1,285 | 37 | #69 | 2,951 |
| 1921 | #1,409 | 33 | #66 | 3,076 |
| 1920 | #1,375 | 33 | #69 | 3,068 |
| 1919 | #1,297 | 35 | #62 | 3,020 |
| 1918 | #1,255 | 36 | #62 | 3,229 |
| 1917 | #1,219 | 35 | #61 | 2,854 |
| 1916 | #1,581 | 23 | #59 | 2,907 |
| 1915 | #1,339 | 28 | #57 | 2,943 |
| 1914 | #2,009 | 12 | #57 | 2,164 |
| 1913 | #1,405 | 17 | #59 | 1,736 |
| 1912 | #1,178 | 20 | #58 | 1,443 |
| 1911 | #1,956 | 7 | #65 | 657 |
| 1910 | #1,521 | 10 | #64 | 556 |
| 1909 | #1,369 | 10 | #61 | 501 |
| 1908 | #1,135 | 13 | #60 | 509 |
| 1907 | #1,384 | 9 | #58 | 491 |
| 1906 | #1,727 | 6 | #52 | 482 |
| 1905 | #872 | 18 | #57 | 432 |
| 1904 | #1,092 | 11 | #61 | 398 |
| 1903 | #1,318 | 8 | #53 | 400 |
| 1902 | #972 | 13 | #58 | 385 |
| 1901 | #1,466 | 6 | #61 | 332 |
| 1900 | #1,231 | 10 | #60 | 431 |
| 1899 | #1,034 | 10 | #65 | 290 |
| 1898 | #1,171 | 9 | #70 | 298 |
| 1897 | #1,167 | 8 | #61 | 310 |
| 1896 | #1,213 | 8 | #65 | 318 |
| 1895 | #1,592 | 5 | #68 | 295 |
| 1894 | — | #69 | 291 | |
| 1893 | #1,437 | 5 | #77 | 243 |
| 1892 | #958 | 10 | #80 | 240 |
| 1891 | — | #83 | 191 | |
| 1890 | #1,338 | 5 | #76 | 226 |
| 1889 | #1,279 | 5 | #82 | 213 |
| 1888 | — | #97 | 189 | |
| 1887 | — | #89 | 168 | |
| 1886 | #993 | 6 | #98 | 160 |
| 1885 | — | #101 | 141 | |
| 1884 | — | #118 | 123 | |
| 1883 | — | #111 | 116 | |
| 1882 | — | #109 | 134 | |
| 1881 | — | #142 | 87 | |
| 1880 | — | #121 | 109 | |
First appearance
1880
In the first year the SSA published name data, Lester was already there! It came in at #121, and was given to 109 baby boys.
Quietest stretch: 2014–2025, when fewer than 120 boys a year got the name.
Where Lester is popular in 2025
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
Top states · boys
- Louisiana#775 · 1 in 3,826
- Pennsylvania#846 · 1 in 5,807
- Tennessee#927 · 1 in 6,128
- North Carolina#1,144 · 1 in 8,578
- Georgia#1,216 · 1 in 8,370
Best ever in a state: #21 in Wyoming, 1913.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | #775 | 5 | 1 in 3,826 |
| Pennsylvania | #846 | 9 | 1 in 5,807 |
| Tennessee | #927 | 6 | 1 in 6,128 |
| North Carolina | #1,144 | 6 | 1 in 8,578 |
| Georgia | #1,216 | 6 | 1 in 8,370 |
| Ohio | #1,267 | 5 | 1 in 10,507 |
| New York | #1,297 | 8 | 1 in 10,553 |
| Florida | #1,625 | 6 | 1 in 15,922 |
| Texas | #2,285 | 6 | 1 in 29,175 |
| Alabama | — | — | — |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arizona | — | — | — |
| Arkansas | — | — | — |
| California | — | — | — |
| Colorado | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Illinois | — | — | — |
| Indiana | — | — | — |
| Iowa | — | — | — |
| Kansas | — | — | — |
| Kentucky | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Maryland | — | — | — |
| Massachusetts | — | — | — |
| Michigan | — | — | — |
| Minnesota | — | — | — |
| Mississippi | — | — | — |
| Missouri | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nebraska | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Jersey | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Oklahoma | — | — | — |
| Oregon | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| South Carolina | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Utah | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — |
| Virginia | — | — | — |
| Washington | — | — | — |
| West Virginia | — | — | — |
| Wisconsin | — | — | — |
| Wyoming | — | — | — |
Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.
See more about Lester
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
- 106 spots since 2020 (#1,528 → #1,634)
- Biggest jump: 144 spots in 1999
- Biggest drop: 165 spots in 1998
Rise & fade · boys
26 yrs to peak
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1906 at #52 (482 births)
- Births halved by 1994, 88 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 100 for 46 yrs
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: 46 yrs · run 1886–1931
- Top 1,000: 119 yrs · run 1880–1997
Share of babies · boys
1 in 276
- Highest: 1 in 276 boys born in 1906 were named Lester (0.36%)
- Latest: 1 in 16,583 boys born in 2025 (0.01%)
Era · boys
The 1920s
- 20.3% of all boys named Lester (26,513) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 1,440 | #82 (1889) | #107 |
| 1890s | 2,702 | #61 (1897) | #71 |
| 1900s | 4,361 | #52 (1906) | #58 |
| 1910s | 21,509 | #57 (1915) | #60 |
| 1920s | 26,513 | #66 (1921) | #77 |
| 1930s | 16,984 | #95 (1930) | #109 |
| 1940s | 17,082 | #116 (1940) | #133 |
| 1950s | 16,568 | #148 (1950) | #171 |
| 1960s | 9,741 | #213 (1960) | #244 |
| 1970s | 5,110 | #297 (1970) | #345 |
| 1980s | 3,570 | #370 (1980) | #464 |
| 1990s | 2,080 | #601 (1991) | #764 |
| 2000s | 1,373 | #1,015 (2000) | #1,167 |
| 2010s | 1,045 | #1,352 (2013) | #1,554 |
| 2020s | 610 | #1,528 (2020) | #1,659 |
All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.
Want to check a specific year?
See where Lester ranked and which names it was up against. Click a point on the chart, or pick a year: